mgross333
asked on
Will this PC support a 400 GB IDE drive
Seagate site says ".... Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 with
48-bit LBA Address drivers are required for native support of ATA (IDE) disc drives greater than 137GB."
Please respond to all three questions below.
(1) I assume this does not apply to just Seagate but to alll 400 GB ATA(IDE) drives? Right or wrong?
(2) PC has Win 2K SP4 so the above FIRST requirement is met. Also an existing 160 GB HD shows up My Computer and I can see subfolders and files in subfolders on this HD. So that proves that it must have the 2nd Seagate-stated requirement above: the driver is a 48-bit LBA address driver.
IS THIS STATEMENT 100% ACCURATE with no possibility of error. Is my reasoning here airtight?
Note: I have gone into HD properties/drivers and it does not state anything about 48-bit LBA so don't look there. If you have an independent way to find out, please state it here.
Also the BIOS says this HD has a LBA address space of about 156,000 MB.
(3) So that leaves the mobo; we know it supports 160 GB but not 400 GB. I contend that is WRONG reasoning. I contend it is the IDE (ATA) standard and any mobo that supports IDE will support 400 GB if the requirments in the Seagate statement are also met. Or am I wrong, must I check the mobo specs to see if **IT ALSO** supports 400 GB HD as a final test. YES OR NO.
Regards-Mike
48-bit LBA Address drivers are required for native support of ATA (IDE) disc drives greater than 137GB."
Please respond to all three questions below.
(1) I assume this does not apply to just Seagate but to alll 400 GB ATA(IDE) drives? Right or wrong?
(2) PC has Win 2K SP4 so the above FIRST requirement is met. Also an existing 160 GB HD shows up My Computer and I can see subfolders and files in subfolders on this HD. So that proves that it must have the 2nd Seagate-stated requirement above: the driver is a 48-bit LBA address driver.
IS THIS STATEMENT 100% ACCURATE with no possibility of error. Is my reasoning here airtight?
Note: I have gone into HD properties/drivers and it does not state anything about 48-bit LBA so don't look there. If you have an independent way to find out, please state it here.
Also the BIOS says this HD has a LBA address space of about 156,000 MB.
(3) So that leaves the mobo; we know it supports 160 GB but not 400 GB. I contend that is WRONG reasoning. I contend it is the IDE (ATA) standard and any mobo that supports IDE will support 400 GB if the requirments in the Seagate statement are also met. Or am I wrong, must I check the mobo specs to see if **IT ALSO** supports 400 GB HD as a final test. YES OR NO.
Regards-Mike
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i would like to add 1 thing : there may be a "trick"
If the 160 Gb drive was installed with the use of an overlay program (for overcoming the 48 bit LBA problem); then it might be he cannot see the 400 Gb drive, but the 160 Gb will work perfectly.
If the 160 Gb drive was installed with the use of an overlay program (for overcoming the 48 bit LBA problem); then it might be he cannot see the 400 Gb drive, but the 160 Gb will work perfectly.
... not an issue here ==> the BIOS sees the full drive.
agreed , but he asked if there were tricks involved...
ASKER
Thanks for all the replies. I will assign points when I order, receive and install the 400 GB IDE HD in this PC and it works.
Mike
Mike
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ASKER
Thanks for the heads up as I buy from newegg. However I must get a 400 GB HD unless my idea at https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/21789171/Can-a-third-IDE-Hard-Drive-be-on-the-CD-ROM-Ribbon-Cable.html will work. Right now I am stuck on a speed issue (see my last post there). If you know the answer, please reply there.
The 400 GB HD is not for me; it is for a customer (I fix PCs for a living). If my idea at the other question fails I must go with the 400 GB HD despite the price difference.
Mike
The 400 GB HD is not for me; it is for a customer (I fix PCs for a living). If my idea at the other question fails I must go with the 400 GB HD despite the price difference.
Mike
Actually I just posted a note there ==> if there's room in the case, I'd buy the add-in Promise card and two 320GB drives :-) (You could configure them as one 640GB dynamic drive)
Can't answer for (2)
Wrong for (3) in that "I contend it is the IDE (ATA) standard and any mobo that supports IDE will support 400 GB"
Go here and read about the various flavours of IDE (ATA) and you will see that IDE came in various sizes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Technology_Attachment
There are tricks in getting Windows 2000 to recognise large disk drives. Others will comment. I think you have to switch to something like dynamic drives (or something similar).